Delaware Park 2019 horses to watch: August 15

by Frank Vespe | Aug 15, 2019 | Breaking, DE Racing, Delaware, Handicapping

Photo by HoofprintsInc.com.

Delaware Park has an eight-race card on tap for Thursday, August 15, and note that there is a carryover of more than $9,300 in the Pick 5, which starts with the third race. Some horses to watch:

Race 6 – Allowance

Three-year-olds and up will go 1 mile 70 yards on the main track in an open allowance contest.
There’s no suitable spot for him on Saturday’s Maryland Pride Day card at Laurel Park, so #3 Cordmaker (5-2) shows up in this spot, in which he figures to be a handful. The Rodney Jenkins-trained son of Curlin took a beating at long odds last time out in the Grade 3, 1 1/4-mile Suburban, but prior to that he had run several good races in a row, among them wins in the Harrison Johnson and Polynesian Stakes and a near-miss third in the G3 Pimlico Special. The favorite here is #6 Brasstown (9-5), who projects as lone speed for trainer Jorge Navarro, whose 12 runners at Delaware have all finished in the money, but he’s still eligible for a two-other-than and making his first start in six months, which makes him a tough sell in this salty crew, especially at short odds. Notably, jockey Victory Carrasco is giving up four live mounts at Laurel today to come to Delaware to ride Cordmaker.
Selections: 3-4-6-5

Race 7 – Allowance/optional claiming

Three-year-olds and up will go five furlongs on the turf in a second-level allowance with an optional claiming tag of $25,000.
He’s not the most likely winner here, but you gotta love a horse named for what Charlie Brown typically received on Halloween. #3 I Got a Rock (9-2) is a speedy sort who showed a new dimension last time by winning without making the early lead but who’ll need to improve today to get the money. He’ll also have to overcome the horse who beat him two back, #4 Xy Speed (5-2).
More promising — even if less well named — is #6 Skole (8-1). The Arnaud Delacour trainee has made three starts sprinting on the turf: a win in maiden company and second- and third-place finishes against stakes rivals. He made a bid between rivals last time out before emptying out to third, and today, in an easier spot, he can move forward. Daniel Centeno will ride.
Selections: 6-8-4-7

Arabian Watch

Thanks to Stephanie Ruff and Arabian Finish Line for giving us insights to the Arabian racing at Delaware Park.

No Arabian race today.